The Aging Eye; Preventing And Treating Eye Disease
Sight is a precious gift. But it can be snatched away by a variety of assaults. The Aging Eye is written specifically for adults over 50. If you are one, your risk of developing one of four disorders that pose a threat to vision cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy increases as you grow older.
Most people have eye problems at one time or another. Some are minor and will go away on their own, or are easy to treat at home. Others need a specialist’s care.
Whether your vision isn’t what it used to be, or never was that great, there are things you can do to get your eye health back on track.
See if any of these common problems sound familiar. And always check with a doctor if your symptoms are really bad or don’t clear up within a few days.
Age is the main risk factor for these diseases. For example, half of all people between the ages of 65 and 74 have cataracts; after age 75, about 70% do. And glaucoma is most common in people over 60.
When it comes to your vision, as you grow older you’ve got to grow wiser too. That means knowing the steps you can take to prevent these vision problems. You also need to know the warning signs of vision problems, how they are diagnosed, and the best treatment options.
The Aging Eye will help you determine your risk of developing these disorders. It will describe the symptoms, update you on advances in diagnostic testing, and share news about advances in surgery and breakthroughs in the development of disease-arresting medications.
You’ll learn what a cataract is (it’s not a film on the eye), why the “air-puff” test for glaucoma is sometimes wrong (and which test is much more accurate), how your diet and lifestyle can decrease your risk of macular degeneration, and much more.
Plus, the report will show you ways to relieve dry eye syndrome. You’ll see how a procedure called conductive keratoplasty compares to LASIK to correct vision. You’ll find out what causes “floaters” and “flashes.” And you’ll be alerted to those symptoms that signal a sight-imperiling emergency that demands immediate treatment. Our eyes change as we get older. That’s a truth we can do little about. It’s the consequences we can change.